This is a weekly series on exercise that will give you the biggest bang for your exercise buck in and out of the gym. Today's exercise is lacrosse ball foot roll.

You should do this because- we receive a lot of feedback from our feet and if something is amiss with your feet, this can effect the rest of the body.

Makes your everyday life easier because- we are on our feet alot and they take a beating.You could say this gives you happy feet. :)
.Form tips - Watch the video. Please do this once per day. If your balance is wonky, hold on to something for support.

It was the middle of July in the sweltering, unforgiving Texas heat and my football coach was making the team run 200 meter sprint repeats at the END of practice. As you can imagine, we were all thrilled and no one complained at all.

If looks could kill

After a few intervals, most of the team was gassed and we still had a few more to go. When my turn came around, I took off sluggishly and the coach was none too pleased. He started to scream a few choice words in my direction.

It was nothing that bears repeating here because what’s said on the field stays on the field, just like what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

However, among the expletives, he dropped a pearl of wisdom.

“Practice should be harder than the game, so the game is easy.”

That was all the motivation I needed. I sucked it up, dug deep and ran out my final intervals without compliant.

That’s the beauty of having a coach. The coach picks you up when you’re feeling down and makes you dig deep when you’re spent and can still see the good in you when nothing is going your way.

Being a personal trainer, I see the value of coaching from both sides of the fence. I coach clients in a one-on-one setting and I occasionally reach out to fellow professionals for advice when I’m struggling with a client or a new exercise concept.

Because there are times when coaches need coaches.

We can all benefit from having a coach in our corner at some time in our lives, whether you’re already a coach or you’re looking for something bigger and better in your life.

A little of Drill Sergeant Lou can be just what you need.

Come on, you can give me one more

If Sgt. Lou can’t convince you, here are a few more reasons why you should consider hiring a coach.

1. Coaches bring out your best

I’m a believer that you already the tools inside of you to be a success. You weren’t put on this Earth to be ordinary, you’re put here to be extraordinary. You may feel like this is new age mumbo jumbo but bear with me for a moment.

Like a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client, you fail to look at yourself objectively. You’re either too hard on yourself or fail to see the good inside of you. You cannot see the forest through the trees. (This is all true for me, too.)

This just makes us human and not Sheldon Cooper.

However, do you know who can help you access those tools and bring out the best in you? A good coach, that’s who.

For example, after coaching my client Ellen for a few months in the art of deadlifting she became capable of this.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-SWFQq3qdw&w=560&h=315]

Not bad for a grandmother coming off three knee surgeries, If Ellen didn’t hire a coach, she would’ve never have realized what she was capable of. Now, she does. That’s one advantage of having a coach in your ear.

2. Accountability

One of the reasons why people hire personal trainers is to provide them with accountability because they’ve made an investment of money and time in the pursuit of better health and fitness. It always helps to have some skin in the game.

However, if they don’t show up, they’re wasting their money and the trainer’s time. This can result in one pissed off trainer. Trust me, you don’t want to upset the person who writes exercise programs for a living. Just saying.

Recently, I was struggling with my own training. I had no program and zero direction. If I didn’t feel like training, I didn’t. I had the dreaded case of do as I say, not as I do. I was accountable to no one and I realized I needed assistance because the mirror and the scale were looking dire.

In a moment of clarity, I reached out to coach extraordinaire Tony Gentilcore to write my strength and conditioning program. Now I feel accountable to Mr. Gentilcore because he has eyes everywhere (like a ninja) and I also report in every week.

A good coach will help keep you on the straight and narrow.

3. Distill information

New information comes at us thick and fast in this 24/7 world. There always seems to be a bigger and better way of doing things and you may feel like you’re getting left behind.

Do you remember when this came out? I wish I could forget.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W0FfkaIEXE&w=420&h=315]

In the health and fitness universe, the crap, the lies and half-truths come from every direction. What’s good or bad for you changes daily. However, rather than panic and make a radical change that you don’t need, consult a coach instead.

A good coach should always have your best interests at heart.

Wrapping up

You cannot go through this life alone. At some stage, you’re going to need some help. That’s what a good coach will do, help you be more awesome than you already are.

And who doesn’t want that?

Do you need help getting stronger, ladies? Then I have the program for you, a 12-week online program that will help you get stronger and more confident in the gym.

This program includes

A through fitness assessment. This assessment lets me know where you stand and is the baseline against which we can measure your progress.

A Skype consultation to discuss your short-term and long-term goals. This will allow me to write a customized program and to answer any questions you may have.

12 weeks of customized programming, broken into 3 4-week blocks

Regular Skype and email check-ins to see how your progressing and to address concerns you may have.

Hurry, spaces are limited. Find out more and grab your spot right here.

There’ve been a few times (maybe more) when I’ve been shown up by a woman in the weight room. Rather than being embarrassed by this, this inspires me to work harder because let’s face it, most men don’t like losing to a woman.

More and more women of today are mixing it up with the men in the weight room and are stepping away from the cardio machines. They’re also being celebrated for their athletic achievements on and off the field and not just for the way they look.

Strong is the new sexy. You’ll get no argument from me.

However, it’s not all sunshine and roses. Parts of the mainstream media and some celebrity trainers (I use that term very loosely) think endless cardio and lifting pink dumbbells are the only way to ‘melt’ those pounds off.

Women have been told for too long that building muscle is ‘bad.’ Instead, words like toning muscles, melting fat, and getting lean have been tossed about because women fear they will look big or bulky if they strength train.

Don’t worry girls, that will never happen to you because of a little thing called testosterone and your lack of it in comparison to men. (1

There are many advantages to building lean muscle, including

· Increase in physical strengt

- Increase in calorie burn even at rest

· Increase in energy

· Increase in self confidence

Should women be excluded from these benefits? No, of course not. Let’s see why (in my opinion) women shouldn’t be afraid of muscle and the barbell.

1. We do the same things

Despite the obvious differences (hormonal, body composition, organs, etc.) between a man and woman, we still perform the same fundamental human movements everyday such as pushing, pulling, squatting, hinging and carrying heavy stuff around.

These are movements that we ALL need to get stronger in.

2. Low weight, high rep myth

As I mentioned earlier, some women have bought into the high rep, light weight mentality because they believe lifting heavier weights will get them too ‘muscly.’ That’s quite ironic because training with low weight/high reps with minimal rest is one of the accepted protocol for muscle building, but I digress.

However, let’s get one thing straight before we go any further, ladies. Building muscle is extremely hard for males and females alike.

To gain a pound of muscle you need a 4500-calorie surplus above what you usually eat. That’s a lot of protein shakes and hamburgers. So, when you lift moderate to heavy weight with appropriate reps and eat like an adult, you’re not going to look like the Hulk.

Of course, you can get bigger muscles from strength training but it’s not necessary a side effect as evidenced by numerous track and field athletes, sprinters and gymnasts. These people need to bestrong relative to their bodyweight to perform at their best.

Training with heavier weights and lower reps with sufficient rest, the muscles will get stronger but not necessarily bigger. According to the American Council on Exercise, most women will gain around 20 to 40 percent in muscular strength after several months of resistance training. (2)

That’s a big deal. No pun intended.

3. Strong muscles, strong bones

Another consideration for why women need to strength train and not throw those silly pink dumbbells around is little thing called bone mineral density (BMD) and the issues women have with osteoporosis, particularly after menopause.

Our bones store important minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, and if we don’t consume enough of these minerals our body takes these minerals from our bones, potentially making the bones weaker.

Nobody wants that.

According to Wolff’s law on bone remodeling, bones will adapt to the loads under which they are placed. What does this mean? It means that lifting weights and taking the recommend doses for calcium will keep your muscles and bones strong for life, which is important.

There are also correlations that suggest that more lean muscle mass leads to a higher BMD and prevents the risk factors associated with stress fractures - another reason not to be afraid of muscle. (3)

Wrapping up

Lifting weights and getting stronger have great benefits for both men and women. Women don’t need to be afraid of picking up and putting down the barbell any longer. Besides, men need a little friendly competition in the weight room anyway.

Do you need help getting started, ladies? Then I have the program for you, a 12-week online program that will help you get stronger and more confident in the gym.

This program includes

- A through fitness assessment. This assessment lets me know where you stand and is the baseline against which we can measure your progress.

- A Skype consultation to discuss your short-term and long-term goals. This will allow me to write a customized program and to answer any questions you may have.

- 12 weeks of customized programming, broken into 3 4-week blocks

- Regular Skype and email check-ins to see how your progressing and to address amu concerns you may have.

Hurry, spaces are limited. Find out more and grab your spot right here.

This is a weekly series on exercise that will give you the biggest bang for your exercise buck in and out of the gym. Today's exercise is inner thigh mobilization. It's not as fancy as it sounds, check it out

Why you should do this- Our hips get stiff throughout the day due to sitting ( which I am now) and those inner thighs get particularly tight.

Makes your everyday life easier- Mobile hips lead to better movement and less back pain. This is perfect warm up exercise before a leg workout.

Form tip- Try to keep your hips level and hold the stretch position for 2 sec. Do 10 reps on each leg daily.

When nothing hurts, you don't have injuries, you're not over weight, your diet is great and you have plenty of energy. It easy to get up go to to gym, put your time and go about the rest of your day.

However, when something is wrong and your not 100 % ( who is?) exercise becomes that much harder. It hurts, your tired motivation wanes and the last thing you want to do is to get your sweat on.

In my time of being a trainer I've had

• Torn quadriceps X 3

• Strained hamstrings

• Knee and ankle tendonitis

• Sprained triceps tendon

• Tennis and golfer’s elbow

• Right A/C joint inflammation

• 3 herniated disks and several back spasms

Yeah, you can get your little violin out and play me a tune. Now If your in a less than perfect spot I can use my experience to help you work around the niggles and get you into the best shape of your life.

Here are my policies, prices and procedures if your interested in in home personal training. Message me with any questions, thank you.

Shane McLean’s in-home personal training

Thank you for considering me for your health and fitness needs. I know there is a ton of choices out there, and I’m very grateful. This handout provides a little information about myself, package costs, policies and what to expect in our time together.

A little about me - I’ve been an American Council of Exercise Certified Personal Trainer for seven years and counting. I have previously worked at the T. Boone Pickens YMCA, and I’m currently employed by Just Fitness in Mesquite. Also, I’ve been doing in-home training for the past 4 years and am insured.

I like to keep our training light and fun, but I’m serious when it come to your exercise form and getting results. Many things in our lives are complicated, but your exercise shouldn’t be one of them. I believe exercise is a reward for your body and should be enjoyed.

I’m also a recognized voice in the fitness industry, featured in print and online media including Examiner.com, Women’s Health Magazine, and the Dallas Morning News.

My training style focuses on your core, strength, and mobility. Conditioning in these areas will help you look, move and feel like a million bucks. Moving, looking, and feeling better is my goal for you when you train with me.

My motto is "To improve one’s balance, strength, and mobility so you can move, look and feel better."

What’s included in your monthly fee

· Individualized programming

· One hour personal training session (s)

· Email support on Fridays between 5 pm – 8pm (CST) I will be available via

shanemcleantraining@gmail.com. To expedite a response, the email should be point form, with one point per question, and each question of no longer than 3 sentences, and no more than 3 questions at one time.

· Phone and text support for short questions and scheduling purposes. I’ll get back to you ASAP.

· Use of mats and equipment.

· My sense of humor J

Packages available - Monthly one hour sessions.

One session per week- $200 per month

Two sessions per week- $360 per month

Three sessions per week- $540 per month

Methods of payment

Square space (Credit card)

Check

Cash

My business hours

Mon- Fri 6 am- 3:30 pm

Saturdays 8 am- 12 pm

Business policies and procedures

I hope we have a ton of fun together, and you get the results you deserve. To avoid confusion and future disputes, these are my policies and procedures.

· Your monthly charge will be due on your first training session for the month. If your first session is the 15th, then your month with end the 15th of next month.

· There is a 16-hour cancellation policy. When less notice is given, you’ll lose the session. When 16 hours’ notice is given, we can reschedule the session.

· Your purchased sessions will expire at the end of your month. I will make exceptions for sickness, unexpected travel, and other issues. This will be negotiated between the two of us.

· We will schedule your weekly sessions by phone and in person during business hours.

· You don’t need to purchase any equipment. If you have some, that’s great and we will use it if the need arises.

· Text and phone calls are a best way to get hold of me for scheduling and short questions.

· If I’m running late due to traffic, I will call you, and you will still get your full hour. If you’re running late, please call or text me on 469-328-0244.

· Please be honest about how you are feeling before our session begins. My goal is to help you feel better, not drive you into the ground.

· If you’d like to keep track of your progress, I will set you up a Dropbox so you can keep track of your sets, reps, weight etc.

Setting goals is great but putting them into action can be difficult. I know that personally because I have tried and failed many a time. It wasn't until I hired a coach who took the worrying out of my hands that my goals were meet and my results skyrocketed.

Hiring The Balance Guy as your coach can do this for you and at the fraction of the cost of traditional personal training. Please turn your goals into action by clicking this link

My training style focuses on your core, strength, and mobility. Core, mobility and strength conditioning will help you look, move and feel like a million bucks.
Remember exercise is fun and never a punishment for the body.
Making fitness fun